"Richard J." wrote in message
. uk...
Paul Weaver wrote:
I stumbled across this plan
(http://www.lrta.org/london-Hounslow.html), involving a tram from
Hammersmith to Heathrow along the A4. They say that it would reduce
traffic on the A4 by 20%, however I understand it would take up one
lane in each direction (33%) of the road capacity, therefore
*increasing* congestion.

I looked on alwaystouchout and I couldn't find the project!

There's also a Heathrow-Kingston tram mentioned too.

These proposals were originated by the London Borough of Hounslow in
2002, and were launched not long before the local council elections.
See

http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/shownews?...27-02-2002.htm

They had come up with two routes that neatly served most parts of the
borough, without resolving key questions about the termini which lay
outside the borough. It was unclear whether, and if so how, the tram
would serve the Heathrow terminals, how it would get to Hammersmith
without taking lanes off the A4 or clogging up Chiswick High Road, and
how it would get to Kingston through fairly narrow roads and across the
Thames. In fact even the council admitted to me that the Kingston
branch would not be a priority for further investigation.

We haven't heard much about the scheme since then.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)


Not a bad idea though and worth looking at.

The A4 from Chiswick roundabout all the way up to the Bath Road in Hounslow
is 3 lane with cycle path on either side for much of the way.
The H91 bus currently plies the route.
Obviously the Chiswick high street end and the Heathrow end would be
problematic.

But taking one of the lanes isn't too bad an idea. And perhaps using the
cycle lanes (which are seldom used)
There will be junctions and parts where you'll have to encroach on the third
lane if the cycle lane were used.
And there would also be problems with the roundabout at Ealing road and the
M4 slip.
but with some reworking it could be possible, it just needs some thinking
about.

but I doubt there will be much demand for the service. It could however
create demand.
But it wasn't so long ago that the H91 was a very poor frequency service
which rarely turned up on time
and did even run late or at the weekend. The improved H91 is doing a good
job, doubt they need a tram to replace it.